​When it comes to marketing yourself an author, you don’t have to wait until your book is finished and published to begin. The earlier you connect and begin to build familiarity and relationships with your readers, the better.

This becomes possible when you realize that you are marketing yourself more than you are marketing your book. At the end of the day, your name is a more important brand than your book’s title. The key is to build your own personal brand through which you can promote your books. We're launching a new blog series in 2019, dedicated to helping authors build their platforms and their brand. Here's a few things to get you started . . . maybe one or two will make it to your New Year's Resolution list!

It’s All About StrategyAs an author, you know your “lane.” In other words, you know your area of expertise. To start building your platform, you’ll have to pick your lane and start traveling down it! This can look like attending conferences, finding online forums to participate in, and even reading other authors’ stories similar to your own and reaching out to them to build community. Just like making friends in real world situations, the initial start is always uncomfortable. If you can break through that barrier, though, you’ll be able to build great relationships that will truly be able to help you along your way.​

Content Is KeyAs you are building your brand, you have to consider every element – from the colors you use to the fonts you choose to the images and logos you select. Keep in mind that each thing you post, on any platform, contributes directly to building your brand and, ultimately, selling your book. Take the time to think through how you want to present yourself.

Social MediaSocial media can be either your greatest ally or your worst enemy, and it’s easy to feel intimidated by it. To start out, take a look at all forms of social media – Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, Pinterest, and see what feels like a good fit for you. If you sign up, try to keep your name across these social media outlets as uniform as possible, so that it will be easier for your readers to find and follow you.

If you've already started your online social media presence through Goodreads or other online social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, connect with your followers, like some of their posts, follow celebrities, groups, or other authors that you admire. Just start making online connections, one follow at a time.

For authors with books already published, we strongly suggest creating and keeping fresh your Goodreads Profile and Amazon.com Author Central profiles. Be sure to keep them fresh with weekly posts or link them to your existing blog.